tempering problem

[Jason Fry]

I usually don't put an edge on my knives until I'm 100% done with the finish on the entire blade/guard/handle. As I'm learning more about heat treating, I've discovered way late in the process that a few of my blades need to be tempered further, as they're chipping a little when I get to sharpening. The one in question right now is a mortise tang with a brass guard, all held together with 2 part slow set epoxy. Is there a way to temper the blade with a torch that won't require complete disassembly? What's the melting point of the epoxy? I was thinking maybe put the handle and guard end in water, up to maybe 1/4 or 3/8 past the guard and then use colors to judge the torch temper. Any better ideas? Any way to disassemble the whole thing without messing up the handle finish and guard fit?

 

[mete]

Most epoxies break loose at about 400 F. Proper tempering takes time. Better that you put the knife in the oven for 1-2 hours and get a good uniform temper then replace the epoxy.